No One Should Be Alone
by Kitsa
Summary: On Valentine's Day, no one should have to have dinner alone
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer-I own nothing except the characters no one recognizes, knows or wants. Sara Pezzini, Ian Nottingham and all the rest belong to Top Cow et al... I am merely taking them out to play a little in my sandbox. 


	2. No One Should be Alone

No One Should Be Alone.  
  
The cold, sterile air of the morgue was an intense contrast to the flow of words from its resident. Vicki Po had been going on for a full ten minutes about her plans for Valentine's Day. The new love of her life, a tall, dark, and muscular forensic pathologist from Connecticut that she had met at a conference, was taking her away for a romantic evening on his boat. It wasn't that she didn't wish Vicki all the best but she really was not in the mood. Her own plans for the evening were pretty empty and hearing about everyone else's plans was starting to get on her nerves. The ringing of her cell was a welcome relief, and she pulled it out, hoping for a nice gruesome murder to match her mood.  
  
"Hello," she said, holding up a hand to her friend.  
  
"Sara, could you come by my office, please? I would like to speak to you." The silky tones of Kenneth Irons gave her a shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room. Great, she thought, another crumb from the table of Mr. Moneybags himself. She waved bye to Vick and stepped out in the hall. She didn't really want to have to explain her connection with the man, and Vicki was incredibly curious.  
  
"Mr. Irons, what do you want?"  
  
"Come by my office and see," he told her, ringing off without saying goodbye, as usual. She slammed the phone shut and started down the corridor. At least it would get her out of the office for a little while. She swung by her office and grabbed her helmet, managing to slip out without attracting the attention of any of her co-workers.  
  
The ride to Vorschlag took less time than she would have liked and she was immediately shown into Kenneth Irons' inner sanctum. Irons was sitting behind his desk, looking cool and smooth as always. Behind him, in his customary position, Ian Nottingham raised his head briefly in acknowledgement of her entrance. Irons stood and came around the desk towards her offering her his hand. Sara took it cautiously, wondering what he was up to this time. "Sara, I am pleased that you came so promptly," he told her smoothly. "I was not certain you would accept my invitation."  
  
"If you ever waited for me to answer before hanging up, you might." She really wanted to get his cryptic pronouncement du jour out of the way so she could get back to her miserable day. "Listen, Mr. Irons, I am not in the mood to deal with one of your cryptic propositions today, so please just tell me what you need to tell me and let me get on my way."  
  
"Sara, you wound me. I asked you here for the express purpose of inviting you to share dinner with me this evening."  
  
"You WHAT?" she said, her voice rising in a streak of offended anger and frustration. "You called me all the way over here to ask me for a date?" She took a moment, secretly pleased by the look of pain that passed over his patrician features at the tone of her voice.  
  
"I would hardly put it in that fashion, but yes, I would like you to join me this evening. I thought we could perhaps mend some of our differences, have a chance to talk more privately, hmmm?" He gave her what she supposed was considered a charming smile.  
  
"Mr. Irons, I appreciate the offer, but first of all, you could have asked me this over the phone."  
  
"But Sara, then I would have had to forego the pleasure of your charming presence." Sara gaped at him like a fish. It seemed that no matter what she said to the man, it just rolled off him like water off a duck's back.  
  
"And secondly," she continued, trying to ignore his slick compliments. "I could have told you 'no' just as easily on the phone. I am not having a great day, and I don't think I would be the best company tonight." She was trying very hard to keep her temper. While so far he had been nominally helpful or at least not outright obstructive, she really was not up to taking on someone with his clout, or not at the moment anyway. She took a deep breath and waited to see how he would react.  
  
"I am sorry to hear that," his voice held just the right amount of fake concern and he nodded his head graciously at her. "Perhaps you will do me the honor another night then?"  
  
"Yeah, sure, whatever you say. I need to get back to work, so if that is all?" she questioned as she began to turn for the door. The sarcasm in her voice was evident but for once he decided that it was best to let her go. As the door closed behind her, he turned to Ian.  
  
"Follow her. In her present mood I am afraid that she might do herself an injury." His voice was cold and a little distracted, his mind already on other things, like making new plans for the evening. Ian nodded and slipped silently out the door. He hid the smile that was starting to creep over his face. Watching Sara was his favorite part of the job. Perhaps, there would even be an opportunity to assist her in some way. While it seemed to irritate her, she certainly had never asked him to stop. In a small way he hoped that she appreciated it for what it was, a way of expressing his feelings as he had no words.  
  
The ride on the bike calmed her down a little, the freedom of the road allowed her to relax and get a handle on her irritation. It wasn't that she minded Valentine's Day particularly, but since she was looking at an afternoon of listening to everyone else's plans, and an evening alone, she just didn't need to be reminded every five minutes about her own lack of a love life. She wondered what Jake was doing, or maybe Gabriel. Maybe she could at least find someone to grab a pizza and a couple games of pool with.  
  
She arrived back at the station and started back in with a sigh. It seemed like everyone was in a great mood except her. Even Captain Dante was off her back for once. It was times like this that she missed Danny more than ever. He would have joked with her, tried to jolly her out of her mood. She had not even seen him today, not one spectral hair. She went to her desk and began to try to sort through the files that were rapidly gaining control. At least it gave her something to do to take her mind off the day.  
  
Sara had managed to work her way into a slightly better mood when Jake came through the door. "Hey rookie, where've you been?" she called to him as he trotted into the room.  
  
"Hey, Pez, I was just trying to make some reservations for tonight. I met this great girl last week, and I waited a little too late to get reservations."  
  
"Reservations? Going all out on this one, hey Jake?" She tried for light, hoping he would finish and let it go. No such luck. She felt the smile freeze on her face as he gave her the full run down, what she looked like, how they met, and a full outline of his plans for the evening. She was about to start beating her head against the wall, or possibly his, when a uniform stuck his head into the office and called Jake away. She rubbed her eyes and reached for her coffee cup. Another day of this and she would be ready to kill him and every other person with valentines on the brain. Sara shook her head, well, one down, maybe she should call Gabriel, at least he was probably free.  
  
Sara picked up the phone and dialed Talismanic. The phone rang and the answering machine picked up. She waited for the beep and started to leave a message when Gabriel grabbed up the phone. "Hey chief, what's up?" he asked, his voice sounding pretty cheery over the line. He was a good guy, even if he had some pretty weird tastes. He was smart though, full of information about all sorts of things that would take her much more time to find without his help.  
  
"Hey, Gabriel, I just called to see what." In the background she heard a distinctly feminine laugh. Oh, no, not him too, she thought, what is it today? Am I the only person in New York City that is spending the night alone?  
  
"Hold on a sec," he said to her, and she heard the muffled sound that indicated he was covering the receiver. "Hey, sorry about that. I have.umh, a friend over visiting." Sara could almost hear him blushing over the line. She shook her head and once again contemplated beating her head against the wall. She gave him an excuse and rang off quickly, not wanting to appear nearly as pathetic as she felt, even to as good a friend as Gabriel.  
  
She sat there at her desk just wishing that the day were over so she could crawl back to her apartment and curl up for a good cry. Sara was really starting to wish that she had taken up Irons on his offer. Maybe if she called him back and told him that her plans had fallen through. At least then she would get a good dinner out of the night. Picking up the phone, she was half way through dialing the private number to his office when she realized what she was doing. She stood up and headed out. What was she thinking? She was not going to call Kenneth Irons and beg him to let her reconsider, just so she did not have to spend the night alone watching the paint age. There was no way she was that desperate. A night alone was definitely a better option. She walked out of the precinct, waving her goodbyes but careful not to stop and give anyone an opportunity to talk to her. As she got on her bike, she thought she caught sight of Nottingham out of the corner of her eye. "Great, me and my stalker. At least I am not the only one alone tonight," she said to herself as she started the engine. She decided to stop and treat herself to take out food. It would at least save her the dishes.  
  
Sara pulled up outside a Chinese restaurant near her house. She got of her bike and stopped suddenly at the sight of Danny, standing on the sidewalk. "Hey, Partner, Happy Valentine's Day," he said, his calm, ghostly smile not really improving her mood.  
  
"Great, everyone seems to be paired up but me. And if you were alive you would not be much better," she told him. Trying to talk under her breath. Every time he appeared she seemed to get noticed and the last thing she needed was more people thinking she had lost her mind.  
  
"You're never alone, Sara. Or at least you don't have to be."  
  
"Thanks, Danny, but you don't exactly count."  
  
"Cold, partner, but I wasn't talking about me."  
  
"Who, then." she started to ask, but he had disappeared again, as usual. Great, she thought, even my resident ghost has better places to be. She walked in, cursing under her breath. She grabbed a menu and started to decide what she wanted. As she was making the order a strange thought occurred to her. She was alone and Nottingham was alone. She wondered if he would be lurking outside her apartment tonight. Who else was there? There was only one other person she could think of. On a whim she decided on two of everything. If he wasn't there she had dinner tomorrow night, if he was, well it beat spending the night alone. What could it hurt to do something to nice for the guy? Just this once, even his company was preferable to spending the night alone. There was nothing more pitiful than sitting alone moping on Valentine's Day. The worst he could do was ignore her, or irritate her and give her someone to take her bad mood out on.  
  
The moment she entered the door, she knew that someone had been there before her. There were candles lit, music playing and a wonderful smell was coming from her kitchen. Her mood went from depression to anger at the speed of light. She stalked into the kitchen and put the bag down on the counter before she decided to throw it at someone. She stood at the counter fuming; she could not believe the audacity of the man. The men, she corrected herself, somehow she could not see Kenneth Irons coming up here and breaking into her apartment himself. And to think she had been a little sorry for Nottingham, having to spend the evening alone. She turned around, her thoughts focused on calling Irons and giving him a piece of her mind when she saw it. The table was set for one and there was a large bouquet of roses sitting in the center of the table with a card attached. Angrily she grabbed the card and ripped it open.  
  
Dear Sara,  
  
Please accept my apologies. I am aware that you had a bad day and did not wish to add to it. I took the liberty of bringing you dinner, which awaits your convenience in the oven, as well as a dessert in the refrigerator. I wish to reassure you that I have done this entirely on my own. Mr. Irons is in no way responsible, nor has he any awareness of my actions.  
  
Yours always, Ian  
  
Sara put down the card in shock. He had done this all for her, just because she had a bad day. She wondered where he was, what he was doing tonight. The Witchblade swirled a little and she got her answer, Ian Nottingham, squatting out on the dark fire escape, his back to her window, looking out over the city. There was a sadness in his eyes, a tired loneliness that she understood only too well. What the hell, she thought, no one should have to be alone on Valentine's Day. She walked across the floor and yanked open the window, startling the assassin from his perch. He rose from his place, lightening fast, immediately assuming his habitual position, head down, hands locked behind his back in a parade rest. Something about that position irritated her, but since he had done something nice for her, she thought she should probably ignore it for the moment.  
  
"Hey Nottingham," she said, watching as he raised his eyes briefly to meet hers, before lowering them again. There was a little hint of a smile on his lips, and he seemed to have gotten over his surprise.  
  
"Hey, Sara." When he was no more forthcoming than that, she sighed, figuring that, as usual, she would have to drag everything out of him.  
  
"Get your ass in here, I want to ask you some questions." He looked up, startled by her tone and language.  
  
"I believe that all the answers you need are contained in the card I have left," he responded, keeping his head lowered.  
  
"Did Irons put you up to this? Is this some kind of strange plan to get me to mellow or what?"  
  
"Mr. Irons is unaware of my actions. He merely asked me to keep watch over you. He made.other arrangements for this evening and my presence was not required. I simply wanted to make your Valentine's Day a little better." Sara ignored any and all snide comments that came to mind, focusing her attention on the fact that he had done this for her on his own. She found herself surprised and touched by his gesture. Maybe he wasn't so bad. In the past he had helped her, even when she did not want him to.  
  
"Look, no one should have to spend Valentine's Day alone if there is another option. If you are going to spend the evening, lurking around, watching me, then you might as well do it inside."  
  
"Sara, I really should not. I was not supposed to." She did not give him a chance to finish.  
  
"You are usually trying to convince me that you want to help. Well, tonight you can help by getting in here and helping me eat this dinner." Ian looked up at her, a little flicker in his eyes that she could not identify, was not really sure that she wanted to.  
  
"I am afraid that I only brought enough for one, Sara," he told her quietly.  
  
"Then it is a good thing that I bought enough for two," she responded. "Now, you want to come in here before we both freeze and dinner gets cold?" For a brief moment, Ian looked so surprised that she was concerned he would fall off his metal roost. There was an awed expression on his face and Sara hid her own grin. It was nice to be able to get one up on tall, dark and deadly. She pulled back into the apartment and watched as he flowed into the room with the grace of a black panther. He stood inside a little uncertainly, as if he did not know what to do with himself now that he was here. "Hang up your coat and stay a while," she called to him as she made her way into the kitchen to set another place at the table. He moved into the small kitchen to stand near her, close but not too close.  
  
"May I help you with anything?" he asked politely, the opening into her evening had been a surprise. He had never expected anything of her, maybe a tacit smile the next time Irons sent him with a message, or maybe even a smile. But for her to acknowledge his offering, to invite him in to share with her was far and away beyond anything he could have imagined. And she had actually brought food for him as well. He shook his head a little at his own musing and reached over to help her lay dinner on the table. They sat by candlelight, enjoying a strange combination of coq au vin and Szechuan chicken, talking for the first time since they met about everyday things, almost like friends. Sara was amazed at the beauty of him, his dark eyes shining in the dim light, as he waxed eloquent on a book he had read recently. They did not talk about the Witchblade, Irons name was never mentioned; just books and music, her work and some of the places that he had traveled.  
  
It was amazing to her, they got through dinner without argument, without him irritating her once or saying anything the least bit cryptic. She rose and he joined her, helping to gather the dishes and empty containers from the table.  
  
"No, why don't you just sit down? Would you like some tea or coffee?"  
  
"Tea would be appreciated," he told her, sitting quietly on the couch. He was waiting for something to go wrong, the dream to end or him to anger her somehow again. But so far it had been a wonderful evening, far different from the cold night outside that he had expected. As she walked over, he rose, taking the tea things from her and setting them down on the table in front of them.  
  
Sara looked at him. He was actually really handsome when he relaxed a little. It was a pity that he did it so rarely. It was a shame that the evening would have to end. She knew that she needed to say something, but she was not sure how to do it. "Ian, it has been a wonderful evening, I really appreciate what you did. It has been the best Valentine's Day I have had in I don't know how long," she started, slowly.  
  
"But?" he asked, sensing a change in her mood. He wanted to do something, to stop whatever was about to happen.  
  
"Tonight is very special, but tomorrow things will go back to normal. I will still be a cop, and the Wielder of the Witchblade, and you will still work for Irons. We will go back to being.adversaries? Enemies? Whatever we are." She looked up at him, sadness apparent in her green eyes.  
  
"We have never been enemies, Sara. Not now, not ever. I would never do anything to hurt you." He met her eyes, sincerity combining with a desperate hope that she would believe him.  
  
"So we just take tonight, and tomorrow we'll see?" she asked, a strange new warmth creeping into her chest, where before there had been a hollowness, and empty feeling. He looked at her, nodding and she smiled at him and held out a cup of tea. He took it, holding both the cup and her hand briefly in his. If nothing else, he had a memory that would sustain him through many lonely nights ahead.  
  
Outside the apartment, as two people inside reached for an understanding, a man stood watching. He smiled in; his blue eyes alight with hope, reddish blonde hair blowing a little in the cool February breeze. It was a start, perhaps now there was a chance, he thought as he turned away to give the couple their privacy and disappeared from the darkened metal scaffold. 


End file.
